Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad

I’m a firm believer that side dishes should be kept simple. I like my main dish to be the star of the show, and who wants to make dinner more any more complicated? Keep it simple.

So, when I was contemplating a side for my Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo this week, I knew I wanted something simple and fresh. This Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad was a perfect match. The light and bright flavors of fresh tomato and cucumber perfectly contrast the deep simmered flavors of the Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo. Plus, it’s summer. I want as many tomatoes and cucumbers as possible while the getting is good!

I love showcasing very “basic” recipes like this for the new cooks in my audience. Why are simple recipes like this great? Because they’re SO easy to build on! The salad presented below is bare bones and, while delicious as is, can be taken to the next level with any number of add-ins. Give it a Greek flare with some feta, olives, or even toasted pieces of pita bread (Panzanella style!) to soak up that delicious dressing. If you’re feeling adventurous, try adding some cubed watermelon for a nice sweet-salty contrast. Got fresh herbs? Toss them in there. And of course, you can customize the dressing by using different vinegars or lemon juice, infused oils, or by adding fresh garlic. Learning a basic recipe like this is the first step towards getting creative in the kitchen.

Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad

Take advantage of summer's fresh produce with this super Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad. With endless ways to customize, this recipe is a must have.

Total Cost
$3.05 recipe / $0.76 servings

Prep Time20minutes

Total Time20minutes

Servings4to 6 servings

Ingredients

DRESSING

1/4cupolive oil$0.64

2Tbspred wine vinegar$0.08

1tspdried oregano$0.10

1/2tspsalt$0.02

Freshly cracked pepper$0.03

SALAD

4Roma tomatoes (or two medium tomatoes)$1.48

1medium cucumber$0.34

1/2small red onion$0.36

Instructions

Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl, or combine them in a jar and shake until mixed. Set the dressing aside to allow the flavors to blend.

Thinly slice* the tomato, cucumber, and red onion. Place them in a large bowl.

Pour the dressing over the sliced vegetables and toss to coat. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to eat. The onions will become more mild as they marinate in the dressing.

Recipe Notes

*The vegetables can be cut into small chunks if preferred.

Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad

Step by Step Photos

Begin by making the dressing to allow the flavors a little time to blend. In a small bowl or jar, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. You can customize this dressing by adding some fresh minced garlic, changing up the dried herbs, or even using a different type of vinegar. I wanted this salad to have a REALLY light and fresh flavor, so I kept the ingredients simple and didn’t complicate the flavors.

Shake or whisk the ingredients until combined. This very simple dressing does not contain an emulsifying agent, so it will begin to separate as it sits. That’s quite alright. It will still taste great once it’s coating the vegetables. Give the dressing a taste and add more salt, pepper, or herbs, if necessary. If the dressing is too bitter or tart for your liking, you can always add a 1/4 tsp sugar to help mellow it out (I like my dressing to have a bite).

I try to get equal amounts of tomato and cucumber, with about half as much onion. So, I used 4 Roma tomatoes (because they were the best deal at the store that day), one cucumber, and half of a small red onion. Thinly slice the vegetables and place them in a bowl (you can cut them into a large dice if that’s easier).

Give the dressing a quick stir or shake, then pour it over the vegetables.

Then toss until everything is coated in the dressing. All done! You can serve it immediately, or refrigerate it for later. I find that the onions tend to mellow out a bit as they marinate in the dressing. So, if you have a hard time with fresh onions, making this ahead of time may help.

33 comments on “Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad”

I made this to go along with the Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo (delicious), and it was great. I used cider vinegar because I didn’t have red wine vinegar, and added an extra splash because we like vinegary dressings.

I forgot this most important comment for the Cucumber Salad for Monica Ferrell’s comment for the cucumber salad. Insert a fork at the top of cucumber and run your fork into the cucumber all the way down of cucumber and repeat until all of cucumber is graded all the way around.

Do this to cucumber for it will look like a high end salad that’s from France. You will be amazed of the delicious flavorful taste. With fork go around the cucumber 4, times and peel off lengthwise top of skin, leaves 4 stripes without dark green skin of cucumber. Then cut cucumber lengthwise into forths and cut lengthwise strips into thin slices. I like how beautifulsald looks with the fork notched pattern on slices of cucumbers

Everyone is commenting on how good a summery dish this is, and here I am about to make this in mid-late October. :P

I don’t have red wine vinegar, but I have (several bottles of) distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and balsamic vinegar (really, I don’t know why so much vinegar…). Which would be the closest substitute?

I do balsamic a lot with salads like this, but it definitely has a different (but good!) flavor than this version. I think cider vinegar might be the closest in acidity, although it also has a slightly different flavor.

Had tacos today and made this salad . Since only 2 for dinner I did cut the ingredients 1/2. Still very good. Also the tacos were home made, lots of ingredients in them. Thanks for your help.
Summer time I make cucumber & onions & vinegar some water. A little sugar to cut the vinegar. Big bowl. WW

Hi! I’m Beth

As a food lover and a number cruncher I've decided that cooking on a budget shouldn't mean canned beans and ramen noodles night after night. Join me for delicious recipes designed for small budgets. More »